sculptural wearable wool: hisano takei

i love these outsized organic wearable sculptural necklaces by american artist/jewelry maker hisano takei (via crust station). anything that pushes the limits of normality in such a thoughtful way with use of texture and dimension in the way that these sculptural pieces do is a winner in my book. i like the idea that they are so dominant in their look, due to their size...they would *be* an outfit, and the person wearing them would be secondary to them, art wearing the person rather than the person wearing art. a fun way of playing with proportion that's not for the faint of (fashion) heart.

(photos via hisano takei)

etsy love: raeburn ink

here goes the second installment of etsy love!

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this time, it's all about the patchwork goodness created by jennifer cooke, aka raeburn ink. jen hails from eureka, california, and has a website at www.raeburnink.com and a blog at raeburnwest.blogspot.com. jen produces printed clothing, home accessories, and accessories, all of which feature riotously colored abstracted patterns. according to her website's about page, her work is grouped into "thematic collections are inspired by everything from topographic maps to security envelopes". nylon and lucky have preached the good word about her work, and her stuff has even been sold at one of my favorite department stores, the inimitable barney's new york. and with good reason: her work is envelope-pushing, completely modern, supremely artful. i've yet to see anything else like it...subsequently, i keep coming back to her etsy shop and pining away for everything to be found there. i can't help it...everything there just resonates completely with me and my aesthetic. bravo, jen!

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these puffy patchwork rings made from tiny scraps leftover from other patchwork projects are ingenious...i love the idea of fabric jewelry, and i actually collect it. the fact that these are oversized adds to their charm but doesn't seem as if it would weigh the wearer down due to their materials and obvious loft. completely eye-catching.

i am complete bowled over by jen's work with patchwork: the colors and fabrics she utilizes set her work far away from the pack...she strikes a thoughtful, planned balance between solids and patterns (many of which are her own prints) that simply works, and those solid planes, of course, give the eye a place to rest, but thankfully, not retire, because of their vivid hues. this patchwork pillow is a perfect example of her skills with the aforementioned:

i'd snap either of these bags up in a millisecond. the pink and red-orange photo-print bag is from her i heart japan collection (and uses photos from her journey to that land), and the patchwork bag, like the ring and the pillow, is from her patchwork collection. i featured the blue patchwork bag in my recent article over at the storque, mentioned here on bits and bobbins yesterday.

the latter carries on the same theme and feel as the pillow above: again, the solids work incredibly well with the prints...the mix is just perfection, and again, completely and totally modern in the very best way.

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want more? check out: raeburn ink viva, etsy!

time magazine: class pictures

i am mesmerized and moved by this collection of formal photographs of american teens by photographer dawoud bey, which are part of his new book, class pictures (featured on the time magazine website). bey shot and interviewed the diverse group of high schoolers over the course of 15 years, spending approximately three weeks at each school. the honest, heartfelt words of the teens are the perfect accompaniment to his stunning portraiture...the whole project has a feeling of realness and the results are incredibly poignant: some of the children have faced fatal illnesses, discrimination, and the tragic death of loved ones, and have come out the other side with a deep sense of wisdom. many exhibit more than their fair share of intelligence.

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upon pondering bey's photos in some depth, it occurred to me why i love this direct style of portraiture more than any other: i am most moved by a photograph of a person when a subject faces the camera directly, unwaveringly.
it is the very same thing i love about some strains of street fashion photography (in the style of fruits, fashioni.st, hel-looks, and a few others).
sometimes, i just want to see something for what it truly is. i like the idea of a photograph being a simple, direct document of the thing or the person. i don't always need the frills of posing or an overabundance of affectations and drama.